Electric car leasing deals

ELECTRIC VEHICLE LEASING - FAQS

• Do electric cars have a spacious interior?

  With electric vehicles, the designers can push the wheels out to each corner, leaving plenty of interior room. And a flat floor throughout, giving a feeling of space and making it easier to sit three abreast in the rear. If you lease an electric car, you’ll notice that the boot space is usually more generous, too.

  There is no exhaust system sitting underneath, and there can be a front boot (or frunk), as there is no combustion engine. This makes electric vehicles a great option for large families or individuals looking for a suitable carpooling ride.

• Is leasing an electric car practical?

  When you take all of the engine and large transmission away, you are left with a fair bit of space. The latest EVs coming through, like the KIA EV6 or Skoda Enyaq electric cars on lease, demonstrate this admirably. You can have a smaller car than before, as the room inside is so much better. 

  The latest Hyundai Ioniq 5's wheelbase is a colossal three metres. This is longer than a Range Rover, not an Evoque either, but a full-size Range Rover in a slightly shorter car than the Land Rovers Velar model.

• Is electric car leasing a good choice?

  An electric car is similar to a hybrid model, except it’s powered purely by electricity. Electric cars come with a large battery pack that must be charged regularly by charging points rather than filling up with petrol or diesel.

  Unlike a petrol or diesel car, electric cars are deemed to be zero emission as there is no exhaust. They can also be very powerful in comparison to their fossil fuel-powered counterparts. While you may have "range anxiety" about where you'll get to charge in case you run out, you'll be happy to know that more charging points are popping up and that many vehicles come with technology to alert you when you're running low

• What does leasing a cheap electric car include in the UK?

  At the moment, most, if not all, zero-emission vehicles have no road fund licence to pay, which is why it is convenient to lease an electric car in the UK. And, if you are to lease any cars with First Vehicle Leasing, this is included anyway. Your lease on an electric car would come with at least a three-year warranty, and new cars don't need an MOT (Ministry of Transport) test until their third birthday. All you would have to do is pay for electricity and insure it comprehensively as you would for any car lease. 

• Is electric car leasing a good idea?

  2020 was the first year that First Vehicle Leasing leased more hybrid and electric vehicles than diesel. We now see more new all-electric cars being launched than in the past decade. For years, assumed wisdom said diesel cars were the most economical choice, delivering higher mpg figures compared to equivalent petrol cars. And that would have been essentially correct. However, over time and with advances in science, we've learned that all fossil fuel vehicles are not great for the environment.

• How do EV car lease deals help the environment?

  We've realised that there is a cost to be paid and not just one from our wallets. More flooding, more fires, and higher temperatures are some of the more obvious signs that our climate has changed. Over the last twenty or so years, we've had catalytic converters, more advanced diesel particulate filters, Ad-Blue and then hybrid-electric technology. 

  But, as Greta Thunberg will point out, this wasn't enough. And, even with the tardy nature of government policy, car manufacturers realised that their products needed to change for the better. For this reason, leasing an electric car in the UK is a great way to help the environment and save fuel costs. 

• Why are many electric cars so fast?

  Plenty has been written about EV's performance. An electric motor can generate powerful torque, which refers to the pulling force. It's also instant, meaning that it's either on or off, which provides greater throttle control. Because of the efficiency of the electric motor, these cars have been able to do things that would have baffled engineers one or two decades ago. 

  SUV-sized vehicles like the new Mustang Mach-E or the Kia EV6 can (with the correct version) do a sub-4 second to 62mph time. Tesla has been doing this kind of party piece for a long time.

• What is the range of an electric car?

  Typical EVs are more likely to have around 200 miles of range. Bigger battery models like Tesla, Hyundai, Kia or Mustang can go north of 275 miles or even further. It should be pointed out that most of these can charge from 0 to 80% full in around 40 minutes with a suitable charging point. The new 800-volt systems in the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Porsche Taycan and Audi E-Tron GT can achieve up to 60 miles of range in only five minutes.

• How do I charge my electric car at home?

  You can have a home charger from our new charger supplier, Project EV, fitted for as little as £499.99 INC VAT (with current grants included). This means you can charge up at home for as little as £13 for a full charge on an electric vehicle with a larger capacity battery. On something like the new Mustang Mach-E model, this will get you a claimed range of 379 miles. Even if it was only 300 miles, that's incredibly cheap transport.